Tire-armor.



M. BATCHELLER.

TIRE ARMGH.

APPLlcATloN FILED AuG.19, 1915.

11,451 l 8 Patented July 24, 1917.

tTED S Ares rai YT @FEKEQ TIRE-ARMOR.

Application filed August 19, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN V. BAToi-inL- LER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Go-wrie, in the county of Webster and 5 State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tire-Armors, of

which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to Vtire armor and the primary object of my invention is the provision of a very simply constructed, easily applied and relatively cheap armor formed of joined or interlinked sections which armor will thoroughly protect the tire from punctures and will at the same time be flexible so as to yield with the tire in traveling.

A further object of my invention is to so construct the armor that it may be readily applied and will be relatively light and may be easily held in place upon a tire.

@ther objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of myimproved tire armor applied to a wheel;

ig. 2 is a fragmentary top view of the construction shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a view showing in plan all of the plates which are used to make up a section of tire armor.

Referring to these drawings it will be seen that my tire armor comprises two series of plates, designated 2 and 2a disposed on each side of themiddle line of the tire. The plates 2 are rectangular in form and each plate is formed adjacent its side edges with the longitudinal slots 3. One end of the plate is formed with a transverse slot l while the other end of each plate 2 is formed with a tongue 5. All of these plates 2 are con structed in the same manner. The plates 2a are also rectangular in form and have the same size as the plates 2 but on one side are provided with the tongues 6 and on the other margin of the plates with the slots 7. The tongues 6 engage with the slots 3 of the adjacent plate 2. Each plate 2a is also formed at one end with a slot 8 corresponding to the slot 4 in plate 2, and with a tongue 9 correspending to the tongue 5 in plate 2. By means of the slots 4 and tongues 5 the plates 2 may be interlinked with each other in a longitudinally extending series, while by means of the slot 8 and tongue 9 the plates Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 21, 191'?.

Serial No. 48,309.

2a may be linked with each other in the same manner. The margins of the plates 2 and 2a overlap each other, and the inter-engaging tongues and slots permit the plates to have a slight relative movement upon each other, in other words, secure a certain degree of flexibility.

Disposed on each side of the middle series of armor plates 2 and 2a are the plates 10.

13 and the other side with a slot 14:. The

tongues 13 of the plates 10 are adapted to be engaged in the slots 3 and 7 of the plates 2 and 2a, while the tongue 11 of each vplate 10 is adaptedto engage with the slot 12 of the next adjacent plate 10. rlhese plates also overlap each other and the outer margins of the plates 10 are disposed below the vlateral margins of the plates 2 and 2a.

Disposed along the side margins of the armor are a plurality of plates 15, each plate being narrower at its outer end than at the end adjacent the corresponding plate 10. Each of these plates 15 is cut out at its center as at 16, and each plate is formed on its vedge nearest to the median line of the armor with a tongue 17 adapted to engage with the slot 14 of the adjacent plate 10. Each plate 15 is also formed at one end with a tongue 18 which as illustrated in Fig. 1 is adapted to be passed through the opening 16 and engaged over the margin of the plate. The slots 14 are sufliciently wider than the tongues 17 as to permit the tongue to have a slight oscillation within the slot, and this is true of all of the slots, this permitting a certain amount of freedom of movement and 'suiiicient play to cause the armor to conform to the flexing of the tire. By forming the plates 15 so thattheir side margins taper away from the median line the armor would be caused to take -a circular form Corresponding to the circumferential curvature of the tire. The openings 16 furthermore not only lighten the armor and make it easy to handle but they provide means whereby straps or hooks 19 may be engaged with the armor and with the rim of the wheel, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

An armor constructed in accordance with my invention is thoroughly protective of the tire and Will conformto the movement of the tire and is designed 'toy beuplaoed upon the tire before the inner tube is iiiiiated so that when the tire is expanded under force of the air pressure Within, the tire and `rairriorwill Vbe 4caused to` oonfornrto eaeh o'ther'aiid the armor be expanded'with'the tire. This will cause the karmorto beheld -Very firmly in place. Not only will my armorfproteot the .tire but it willj also i pre- .vent skiddinggas the ,re-turned hooks by .which :theLplateslare connected to each other Will forma number of projections adapted to.=engage the surface of the road bed.y

,When the links ofthe armor arerput together it provides a one-piece tire .armor :which isfalmostimpossibleto iget out of pplace accidentally and yet which is. easily `:removed byv openingy two; links on "each side topposite each other.` rBy adding or'removn Eing links the armor may'bemade to'it any tire.

. Hav'in'g'thus ,describe-d my. invention, what ;I claimis: K

`A.v tirek Yarmor -comprising `two series of plates disposed niedially of thearmor, one

series ofI plates lbeing yprovided with alplurality oi slots along; the side f 'margins and v the otherserie's offplatespbeing provided on `one side with apluralityof tongues engag- 'ingiesaid slots and n the other side 'With a :plurality of "marginal slots, "each of the plates of both 'series being provided atone end with; a-ftransyerse 'slot and fat/the other end Awith 'a hooked tongue engaging the tongue loftlieneigt adjacent plate, two series of laterally disposed trapezoidal plates, each plate being half thelength of a plate of tli'etwo medial series of plates, eaoh plate of said lateral series being formed on rone edge with a tongue adapted to engage in a slot ofthel adjacent plate of the medial series andk on the other side of the plate with a longitudinallyextending slot, each oi' the laterally disposed plates beihgiormed at one end With ailiooke'd vton-guev andA at the other With'aislot to engage with the tongue oi the next adj aoentvplateofI the saine series andtwo series of marginalzplates, each niar- Vginal plate `upon its inner end being p.ro

and with their shorter edges disposed outward, and means for holding .the armor upon la tire. Y

,In testimony'whereofhj'hereunto my signature in the presence 'of Vtufo witnesses. Y MRTI'N Vf-BTCHELEER.

Witnesses: Y n' fS.; F.` JONES,

D. BA'rCHELLER.- 

